1688.com is Alibaba's Chinese-language sister site with rock-bottom factory prices. TK Wang explains exactly how UK importers can access it — from navigation to delivery.
In summary: 1688.com is Alibaba's Chinese domestic wholesale platform offering factory-direct prices typically 20–40% lower than Alibaba. UK buyers can access it through third-party buying agents, payment intermediaries, or a bilingual sourcing agency. This guide walks through exactly how to navigate, pay and import from 1688.com as a UK-based importer.
If Alibaba is the international-facing shop window, 1688.com is the factory floor. It's the platform Chinese businesses use to buy from each other — which means prices are set for domestic buyers at factory-direct rates, without the international mark-up baked into Alibaba listings.
The same factory that lists a product on Alibaba for £8.50 per unit might list the identical product on 1688.com for ¥32 RMB (roughly £3.50). Same factory, same product — very different price. For UK importers serious about margins, ignoring 1688.com is leaving real money on the table.
The platform is estimated to have over 1.7 million suppliers and 10 million product listings. That's a staggering range of factory-direct inventory, much of it never listed on Alibaba at all.
Both platforms are owned by Alibaba Group, but they serve very different buyers. Alibaba (alibaba.com) is designed for international trade — English language, international payment options, Trade Assurance, and supplier verification for overseas buyers. We cover this thoroughly in our guide to importing from Alibaba to the UK.
1688.com is the domestic Chinese version. It's entirely in Mandarin, payments are processed through Alipay in RMB, and the platform assumes both buyer and seller are operating within China. There's no built-in support for international shipping or overseas buyers.
The advantage? Factory-direct pricing, access to suppliers that don't bother listing on Alibaba, and a far wider product range. For a full comparison of all three main platforms, see our guide to DHgate vs Alibaba vs 1688 for UK buyers.
Sourcing Hack #1: Search 1688.com by image, not just text. Upload a product photo using the camera icon in the search bar and 1688.com will surface visually similar products from Chinese factories. This works even if you have no Mandarin — you're navigating entirely by image. It's one of the most powerful sourcing research tools available to UK buyers, and it costs absolutely nothing.
There are three main approaches UK importers use to access 1688.com, each with different trade-offs in terms of cost, control and complexity.
Option 1: Use a buying agent or intermediary service. Services like Superbuy, Yoybuy or CSSBuy act as your local Chinese representative. They purchase from 1688.com on your behalf, inspect the goods, consolidate your order, and ship it internationally. You pay in GBP or USD; they handle the RMB transaction. This is the simplest route for occasional buyers or those testing the platform for the first time.
Option 2: Use a bilingual sourcing agency. A sourcing agency like Epic Sourcing has its own team in China with native Mandarin speakers, Alipay accounts, and established factory relationships. We source directly from 1688.com at listed prices, negotiate further, inspect quality on the ground, and consolidate your shipment. This is the most cost-effective route for regular importers placing business-volume orders. Our White Label and Private Label packages include 1688.com access as standard.
Option 3: Set up your own direct access. With a VPN, a Chinese phone number for SMS verification, and an Alipay account, UK buyers can create their own 1688.com account. This works but is unreliable for international card payments and genuinely baffling without Mandarin skills. Not recommended for most UK importers starting out.
Sourcing Hack #2: Use Google Translate's browser extension to translate 1688.com pages in real time. It won't be perfect, but it's enough to identify products, read basic specifications, and spot minimum order quantities. Pair this with image search and you can do effective preliminary research on 1688.com even without any Chinese language skills.
Payment on 1688.com works through Alipay — China's dominant digital payment platform. For UK buyers, this presents the biggest practical barrier: international credit or debit cards are not reliably accepted on 1688.com.
If you're using an intermediary buying service, they handle the RMB payment on your behalf and invoice you in your home currency. This typically adds a 5–10% service charge plus an exchange rate margin — but it removes the payment headache entirely, which is worth the cost for most first-time buyers.
If you're working with a sourcing agency with a China-based team, they make payment directly from Chinese business accounts and invoice you in GBP once the order is confirmed. This is often the most transparent arrangement for ongoing sourcing relationships, and the fee structure is usually clearer.
Sourcing Hack #3: When comparing a 1688.com listing to an Alibaba listing for the same product, always calculate the full landed cost — not just the unit price. Add the buying agent or sourcing agency fee, international freight, UK import duty, and VAT. In most cases the 1688.com price advantage more than covers these additional costs on volume orders, but you need to run the full calculation first. Our team can help you build this comparison before you commit to an order.
1688.com suppliers are set up for domestic Chinese buyers and generally don't arrange international shipping. To get your order to the UK, you'll need a freight forwarder or consolidation warehouse in China.
The typical process: your sourcing agent or intermediary receives goods at a Chinese warehouse, inspects them, consolidates multiple orders if needed, then arranges international freight — either sea (lower cost, 25–35 days transit) or air (higher cost, 5–10 days). Sea freight makes sense for large or heavy orders; air freight for time-sensitive or high-value goods.
UK import duty and VAT are payable on arrival, calculated on the customs value of the goods. Understanding your HS codes and applicable tariff rates before ordering is essential — they significantly affect your actual landed cost. Our complete guide to importing from China to the UK covers this in full detail.
Sourcing Hack #4: Use a consolidation warehouse in China to combine multiple 1688.com orders into a single shipment. Rather than paying for several separate air freight shipments, you consolidate into one container or pallet load — dramatically reducing your per-unit freight cost and often making 1688.com economics far more attractive. Your sourcing agent can usually provide this service as standard.
1688.com is particularly strong for unbranded manufactured goods, components and parts, packaging and labelling materials, and niche product categories with limited Alibaba listings. It's the platform where small and medium factories list their inventory without investing in international trade marketing.
UK importers use 1688.com successfully to source custom branded apparel and accessories, promotional merchandise, homeware, fitness equipment, packaging materials (boxes, bags, labels), electronics accessories, seasonal products, and virtually anything requiring custom manufacturing. The product breadth is genuinely extraordinary.
It's also excellent for finding the actual factory behind an Alibaba trading company listing — meaning you can potentially cut out the trading company entirely and deal direct. This is one of the core strategies we use for our clients looking to source directly and reduce costs. Understanding the full range of what's possible is covered in our guide on unlocking OEM manufacturing for small businesses.
1688.com has fewer buyer protection mechanisms than Alibaba — it's designed for domestic Chinese trade where buyers and sellers can resolve disputes through local channels. For UK importers, this makes pre-shipment quality control absolutely critical.
Pre-shipment quality inspection by an in-country team is the most important risk mitigation step when sourcing from 1688.com. This means having someone physically checking goods at the factory or warehouse in China before they're loaded for export — rather than discovering quality problems after arrival in the UK. Our team handles this as standard for all client orders.
For guidance on vetting suppliers and avoiding the most common sourcing mistakes, our safety checks guide covers the principles that apply equally to 1688.com. And if you want to understand how to find quality manufacturers more broadly, our guide to finding reliable manufacturers in China walks through the full vetting process.
Yes, but it's difficult. Registration requires a Chinese phone number for SMS verification, and the entire interface is in Mandarin. Most UK buyers access 1688.com through a Chinese buying agent, intermediary service, or bilingual sourcing agency rather than registering directly — it's simply faster and more reliable.
Generally yes — often 20–40% cheaper per unit — because you're buying at factory-direct domestic Chinese prices rather than international trade prices. However, factor in agent fees, freight forwarding, UK import duty, and VAT to calculate your true landed cost before concluding 1688 is always the better deal.
It varies by supplier and product. Some listings have very low MOQs (even single units) for generic products, while custom manufacturing listings may require 100, 500, or 1,000+ units minimum. MOQs are generally similar to or lower than comparable Alibaba listings from the same factories. For guidance on navigating MOQs, see our guide to choosing the right sourcing model.
Not strictly, but it makes the process far simpler and safer. A sourcing agency with a bilingual team in China can access 1688.com natively, negotiate on your behalf, handle payments, arrange quality inspection, and consolidate your shipment. For serious importers, the agency fee is typically offset by the price savings versus Alibaba. Talk to our team to discuss your requirements.
After production, sea freight to the UK takes approximately 25–35 days and air freight takes 5–10 days. Your total timeline from order placement to UK delivery typically runs 6–12 weeks including production lead time, depending on the product and supplier's manufacturing schedule.
UK import duty rates vary by product type and HS code, ranging from 0% to 12% for most manufactured goods, plus 20% VAT on the customs value. Use the UK Government's Global Tariff Tool to find the specific duty rate for your product category. You can also explore our Secret Label managed sourcing package where we handle all compliance and customs documentation on your behalf.
If you want the cost advantages of 1688.com without the headache of navigating a Chinese-language platform, Epic Sourcing can handle the entire process. Our team is on the ground in China — native Mandarin speakers, established factory relationships, and quality control processes already in place.
Email hello@epicsourcing.co.uk, call 07551 136406, or book a free strategy call to discuss your product requirements.
And if you're still weighing up your platform options, our guide to DHgate vs Alibaba vs 1688 for UK buyers will help you decide which combination of platforms is right for your sourcing strategy.
TK Wang, Founder & Director @ Epic Sourcing
